Houthis attack Saudi military base after targeting oil facilities and airport
Houthis celebrate after taking control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. File photo / Reuters
Fighting between Saudi backed government forces and the Houthis in Yemen has intensified. Amid the situation, the Houthis have rapidly captured several important areas along the Red Sea coast. At the same time, the group has continued attacks in Saudi Arabia. In the recently intensified conflict, the group has carried out missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities and airports. This time, the group has also attacked a Saudi military base.
Meanwhile, the number of displaced people in Yemen is rapidly increasing due to the conflict. Many are fleeing the country to Djibouti, located on the other side of the Red Sea.
The Houthis claimed that they carried out a drone and missile attack on the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia.
The group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media platform X that the target of the attack on the Sharurah base was “weapons depots and command and control centers,” which the Houthis claim are being used to direct attacks against Yemen and its people.
However, it was not disclosed when the operation was carried out.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities said two people were injured by a shell fired by the Houthis in the country’s southern border area with Yemen. The incident occurred hours after authorities issued an alert over fears of an attack.
The Saudi Civil Defense Directorate said two people were injured after a shell fired by the Houthis struck Al Tuwal Governorate in the Jazan region. A mosque, several buildings and vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Clashes between the Iran backed Houthis and Yemen’s government forces backed by Riyadh have intensified this week.
The United Nations said at least 76,000 people have fled their homes in Yemen since July. The number of displaced people increased fourfold in just the past week.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the displacement situation in Yemen is rapidly deteriorating. Many families are leaving their homes at night. They also have no safe place to go.
The displacement began after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July. The highest number of people have been displaced in the western coastal areas and Taiz.
Taiz has been the worst affected. Around 8,300 families or nearly 50,000 people have left their homes from different districts of the province.
The impact of the conflict has also spread beyond Yemen’s borders. Djibouti’s Minister of Economy and Finance Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh said around 1,400 refugees from Yemen arrived in Djibouti within just 24 hours.
Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa directly opposite Yemen. The country lies beside the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an important gateway to the Red Sea.
Source: Al Jazeera (Adapted)
